If youve already done it my apologies, butnid love to see your take on a dark chocolate brown suit....and if your up for the challenge make it a 3 piece....idk why but im all about brown 😊
A couple of additional thoughts. When Ash says to have shoe trees for each pair of shoes, understand that this is mandatory for proper shoe care. Not using them leaves shoes to crease and eventually crack. It also makes shoes easier to shine. I also have a shoe bag for each shoe. One bag for the pair leaves them knocking against each other. That can destroy a mirror shine. All my shoe and boot bags are flannel for real protection. Never plastic.
To think, I spent the twelve years of my RAF career using every excuse possible not to bull my shoes.... and I now do it voluntarily!😅 Great video, Ash - thanks!
What a great buy Ash! If only we had the same quality of shoes down under. I'm visiting the UK in May and am looking to invest in some good shoes whilst there.
I really look forward to and enjoy your videos Ash. Every 6/8 weeks I get all of my shoes out (6 pairs of shoes, 6 pairs of boots) and clean/polish them all together, whether they were worn previously or not, then put them back in their place (boxes for the shoes). It is as you say, very therapeutic. Some of my shoes have been with me for 30 years.
That does not work with Saphir. No petroleum. And something seems to evaporate when heated so the polish is wrecked. Kiwi (petroleum, enough to warrant a fire hazard label) will work that way.
Thank you for this video. It's the first time I have seen anyone shine shoes in the woods. All I know is I need practice on doing a mirror shine. My mirror shine skills are rather inadequate.
I admire your footwear prowess and wonder restoration despite the chill. I have aquired a fair number of Edmond Allen footwear via ebay and devotedly restored them at a 70-80% savings from retail. Now if I could just find a nice pair of those elusive Edward Greens at a thrift price. 😂 Cheers
I would certainly recommend Réno Mat cleaner before applying this basic conditioner. As Ash says, the shoes could have been lying in a closet for long time without any care, so the cleaning would be the first step and then this conditioner, but maybe only conditioner is enough.
I do enjoy your shoe polishing videos. They got me started. A few comments and observations. Mixing alcohol with the water seems to speed up the process. I keep my mix in a dispenser bottle in the freezer. The alcohol keeps it from freezing. And the cold mix makes the polish harden faster. I was in the US Army for four years, and were taught to do the mirror shine with cotton balls. They work very well. I have found that either a goat hair brush or a buffer are soft enough to use on a mirror shine without destroying the shine. If your cotton ball or pad has too much water, the shine can become cloudy. You can use either on the toe, and the cloudiness will disappear. If you get drag, you are removing polish (not what you want) and need to dampen your applicator. The neat thing about a mirror shine, is that once accomplished, maintenance can be very quick, under a minute. One or two applications of wax and things are back to normal. There is an advantage to letting the shoes sit overnight. The wax seems to settle and harden more. Do more layers in the morning, and you will get magnificence! I sometimes do some mirror shining on the vamp (the area above the toe and below the the throat (shoe lacing area). It adds a professional luster to the shoe. And I would call the mirror shining experience a Zen moment of getting caught in the rhythm of the experience. I usually play some quiet, meditative music. And then, at the end, you get to wear shoe or boots that are magnificent. Enjoy! And thank you Ash for a wonderful video.
Thank you for video and whole channel. You helped me alot in my life journey. Is there a chance to make a video about washing clothes? I've started to buy better quality shirts, socks from wool/cotton, and i'd like to take proper care of them. Could I get your take on how you washing your clothes? Thank you.
Hello Ash, Those shoes you purchased from eBay were close to a mirror shine and needed a little tweak. Great video, thank you. I live in New York, and my experience searching for quality pre-owned shoes on eBay has been horrible. I found a pair of costly Footjoy golf shoes in white leather and alligator skin, which I could not resist because of the giveaway cost. They are ridiculous and appealing because they are Top of Line $1500 golf shoes. I paid 50 bucks. So that was a success. Are there any unique search criteria that would bring better results for everyday footwear? EBay may have a British site that focuses on British-made products.
Greetings Ash: I always enjoy your polish video. Do you happen to have any rough out boots? Something a bit more unusual for shoe maintenance some of your viewers could profit from.
Semi brogues with formal attire? Most won't notice given the mirror shine, but is there a reason you wouldn't wear a more formal shoe? Either way, bravo on your bargain buy and the shine you created. Always instructive vids.
How often do you polish your shoes? I may wear a pair two days a week. I polish on Sunday evenings. One week i do my black shoes and one week my brown shoes. That means each paif of shoes are polished every two weeks. Is the often enough or too mich?
I’ve had a bad experience with Saphir. It damaged several of my high-quality leather shoes. I had to have them refurbished at some cost! I’ve read that Renovateur is harsh and can damage the colouring on shoes. I have not used Saphir on the refurbished shoes and the problem has not recurred. Just a warning to shoe aficionados.
I polish my shoes regularly using the same techniques and products. Recently I acquired a new head for my electric toothbrush. I retained the old one. I intend experimenting using it for the final polish. I am expecting the bristles to be too stiff and scratch the leather but you never know. I won’t be trying it out on my best shoes.
Saphir is made of natural products and widely considered the best of its kind in the world. I have used it for decades and am aware it is used by shoecare professionals due to its excellent qualities. I can only say that you must have either had a bad batch (unlikely), or you used it incorrectly in some way. I would pose the obvious question - What do you use instead of Saphir? The more I think about your comment, the more I don't understand how Saphir could have damaged a leather shoe. Renovateur is a totally benign product and is made of natural oils and waxes, what did you do - put it on suede?
You do need to be careful with Renovatuer , brand new Ralph Lauren boots and I put a dab on the toe cap without working it in while I worked on another area . It removed the finish and I ended up recoloring the cap . Otherwise I have never encountered any issues . I use Saphir exclusively to take care of my shoe collection . Great Videos keep up the great work !
I am surprised that the cold weather allowed the polish and wax to work properly. Also, you waxed where the shoes crease. I am very leery about waxing there. You did not need to work on the sides of the soles?
Good evening Ash and the assembled Chappage You make it look effortless. TBF I had a pair of cheap Oxfords, not particularly shiny, that I was to wear for an interview. I suddenly thought to shine them , the night before. Took about 20 minutes per shoe. Still shiny years later. 🫡
If youve already done it my apologies, butnid love to see your take on a dark chocolate brown suit....and if your up for the challenge make it a 3 piece....idk why but im all about brown 😊
A couple of additional thoughts. When Ash says to have shoe trees for each pair of shoes, understand that this is mandatory for proper shoe care. Not using them leaves shoes to crease and eventually crack. It also makes shoes easier to shine.
I also have a shoe bag for each shoe. One bag for the pair leaves them knocking against each other. That can destroy a mirror shine. All my shoe and boot bags are flannel for real protection. Never plastic.
Wow! Are those now your favorite black cap toe oxfords?
Not a bad pair.
To think, I spent the twelve years of my RAF career using every excuse possible not to bull my shoes.... and I now do it voluntarily!😅
Great video, Ash - thanks!
What a great buy Ash! If only we had the same quality of shoes down under. I'm visiting the UK in May and am looking to invest in some good shoes whilst there.
Consider a trip to Northampton to visit the many factory shops - you could save a fortune.
@@TheChapsGuide Thanks for the suggestion Ash. Yes, we are heading up that way, so it's on the hit list.
My grandfather recently retired from the navy always says if you want a mirror shine all you need is a decent polish and a soft yellow duster cloth.
My dear man, you are BACK from the world of watches that I cannot afford!
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I really look forward to and enjoy your videos Ash. Every 6/8 weeks I get all of my shoes out (6 pairs of shoes, 6 pairs of boots) and clean/polish them all together, whether they were worn previously or not, then put them back in their place (boxes for the shoes). It is as you say, very therapeutic. Some of my shoes have been with me for 30 years.
We used to put a candle under a can of shoe wax to warm up .
The warm wax is quickly absorbed into the shoes
That does not work with Saphir. No petroleum. And something seems to evaporate when heated so the polish is wrecked.
Kiwi (petroleum, enough to warrant a fire hazard label) will work that way.
Thank you for this video. It's the first time I have seen anyone shine shoes in the woods. All I know is I need practice on doing a mirror shine. My mirror shine skills are rather inadequate.
Awesome video
Thanks for the visit
I admire your footwear prowess and wonder restoration despite the chill. I have aquired a fair number of Edmond Allen footwear via ebay and devotedly restored them at a 70-80% savings from retail. Now if I could just find a nice pair of those elusive Edward Greens at a thrift price. 😂 Cheers
I would certainly recommend Réno Mat cleaner before applying this basic conditioner. As Ash says, the shoes could have been lying in a closet for long time without any care, so the cleaning would be the first step and then this conditioner, but maybe only conditioner is enough.
Was at the Barker factory shop yesterday. They had slight seconds black patents at £125.
Thank you for all you do, Ash!
My pleasure!
Enjoyed this episode immensely. Great information. Well done. Cheers!👍
Great video Ash, thanks a mil for sharing. Great work that does not have to cost an arm or leg.
(Good looking outdoor work gear in blue)
These are excellent videos 🫡
Wonderful video Ash.
Glad you liked it!
I do enjoy your shoe polishing videos. They got me started. A few comments and observations. Mixing alcohol with the water seems to speed up the process. I keep my mix in a dispenser bottle in the freezer. The alcohol keeps it from freezing. And the cold mix makes the polish harden faster.
I was in the US Army for four years, and were taught to do the mirror shine with cotton balls. They work very well. I have found that either a goat hair brush or a buffer are soft enough to use on a mirror shine without destroying the shine. If your cotton ball or pad has too much water, the shine can become cloudy. You can use either on the toe, and the cloudiness will disappear. If you get drag, you are removing polish (not what you want) and need to dampen your applicator.
The neat thing about a mirror shine, is that once accomplished, maintenance can be very quick, under a minute. One or two applications of wax and things are back to normal.
There is an advantage to letting the shoes sit overnight. The wax seems to settle and harden more. Do more layers in the morning, and you will get magnificence!
I sometimes do some mirror shining on the vamp (the area above the toe and below the the throat (shoe lacing area). It adds a professional luster to the shoe.
And I would call the mirror shining experience a Zen moment of getting caught in the rhythm of the experience. I usually play some quiet, meditative music. And then, at the end, you get to wear shoe or boots that are magnificent. Enjoy!
And thank you Ash for a wonderful video.
You need to get out
@@martindoyle7077 I do not understand what you are saying or what you mean. Or how it relates to what I said.
@@lynn5447 that's what I mean
Thank you for video and whole channel. You helped me alot in my life journey.
Is there a chance to make a video about washing clothes? I've started to buy better quality shirts, socks from wool/cotton, and i'd like to take proper care of them.
Could I get your take on how you washing your clothes?
Thank you.
Hello Ash, Those shoes you purchased from eBay were close to a mirror shine and needed a little tweak. Great video, thank you. I live in New York, and my experience searching for quality pre-owned shoes on eBay has been horrible. I found a pair of costly Footjoy golf shoes in white leather and alligator skin, which I could not resist because of the giveaway cost. They are ridiculous and appealing because they are Top of Line $1500 golf shoes. I paid 50 bucks. So that was a success. Are there any unique search criteria that would bring better results for everyday footwear? EBay may have a British site that focuses on British-made products.
Bulling boots & shoes is definitely therapeutic 🙂
Hello! ❤️
Greetings Ash: I always enjoy your polish video. Do you happen to have any rough out boots? Something a bit more unusual for shoe maintenance some of your viewers could profit from.
Semi brogues with formal attire? Most won't notice given the mirror shine, but is there a reason you wouldn't wear a more formal shoe? Either way, bravo on your bargain buy and the shine you created. Always instructive vids.
Have you ever considered using microfibre cloths for polishing? Top job though.
Yes, I use one to refresh my shine at the end of each day.
How often do you polish your shoes? I may wear a pair two days a week. I polish on Sunday evenings. One week i do my black shoes and one week my brown shoes. That means each paif of shoes are polished every two weeks. Is the often enough or too mich?
I polish my shoes when they need polish and not before - what would be the point? I would not iron an already ironed shirt.
@@TheChapsGuide Hey Ash, would this also apply to general conditioning to keep the leather in tip top shape?
Hi Ash. I’ve read some people add some rubbing alcohol to the water. I love to know your thoughts on this. Thank you.
I see no need. The polish works well for me as is.
@ Thank you. Puts that one to bed! 🙏🏻
To get the mirror shine, do you need to apply a lot of pressure to put on the wax? Do you work up a sweat to get the desired shine?
No. You are not trying to scrape the polish off. Medium pressure.
I’ve had a bad experience with Saphir. It damaged several of my high-quality leather shoes. I had to have them refurbished at some cost! I’ve read that Renovateur is harsh and can damage the colouring on shoes. I have not used Saphir on the refurbished shoes and the problem has not recurred. Just a warning to shoe aficionados.
I polish my shoes regularly using the same techniques and products. Recently I acquired a new head for my electric toothbrush. I retained the old one. I intend experimenting using it for the final polish. I am expecting the bristles to be too stiff and scratch the leather but you never know. I won’t be trying it out on my best shoes.
Saphir is made of natural products and widely considered the best of its kind in the world. I have used it for decades and am aware it is used by shoecare professionals due to its excellent qualities. I can only say that you must have either had a bad batch (unlikely), or you used it incorrectly in some way. I would pose the obvious question - What do you use instead of Saphir?
The more I think about your comment, the more I don't understand how Saphir could have damaged a leather shoe. Renovateur is a totally benign product and is made of natural oils and waxes, what did you do - put it on suede?
Never had any bad experiences with Saphir products, Renovateur is wonderful.
You do need to be careful with Renovatuer , brand new Ralph Lauren boots and I put a dab on the toe cap without working it in while I worked on another area . It removed the finish and I ended up recoloring the cap . Otherwise I have never encountered any issues . I use Saphir exclusively to take care of my shoe collection . Great Videos keep up the great work !
Question Sir , does one mirror shine dress boots ?
I do, treat them the same as shoes.
@ excellent, so shall I , Thankyou
I am surprised that the cold weather allowed the polish and wax to work properly. Also, you waxed where the shoes crease. I am very leery about waxing there. You did not need to work on the sides of the soles?
Them shoes were well looked after worth a lot more i would not have sold them for 18 99 no way
Ash spent $20 on the shoes and $100 on Saphir products.
Saphir does last a long time though. The
Goodyear welted?
Oh yes!
Ash, do you ever treat the leather soul? Peter
No. Just keep them clean and dry.
Good evening Ash and the assembled Chappage
You make it look effortless.
TBF I had a pair of cheap Oxfords, not particularly shiny, that I was to wear for an interview. I suddenly thought to shine them , the night before. Took about 20 minutes per shoe. Still shiny years later.
🫡
Use headphones for best experience
Shoe shine ASMR